Navy has not always utilized the entire number of spring practices allowed by the NCAA.

In 2014, head coach Ken Niumatalolo canceled the majority of spring camp in the wake of Will McKamey's tragic death. McKamey, a freshman slotback, collapsed during a Saturday morning practice in March of that year and ultimately succumbed to a brain injury.

Two years ago, Niumatalolo canceled the final three practices of spring drills so the football players could concentrate on end-of-semester exams. Injuries to several players factored in that decision.

This spring, Niumatalolo intends to use 15 practices, the maximum mandated by the NCAA. Recent rules put into place state that 12 of those practices can involve contact and eight can feature live tackling.

"For various reasons in the past, whether injuries or other situations, we had to cut some spring practices short," Niumatalolo said this week. "We are not going to do that this year. I feel like we need to use them all."

During the regular season, Niumatalolo limits the amount of contact and Navy does not tackle players to the ground. The 10th-year head coach believes the physical pounding players absorb during games takes enough of a toll and does not need to be exacerbated by hitting in practice.

However, Niumatalolo does think spring is the time to see which players can properly execute the blocking and tackling techniques required to play college football.

"We plan on doing a lot of hitting and tackling — as much as the NCAA will allow us to do," Niumatalolo said. "My philosophy is that you get after it during the spring. This is when you tackle as much as you can tackle."

Navy opened spring camp on Monday and will practice pretty much four times per week through April 14. Niumatalolo said the Midshipmen will not conduct scrimmages in the strict sense of the word, but will have plenty of full-contact, 11-on-11 work.

Navy will hold all 15 spring practices on the two grass fields located on the academy grounds along the banks of the Severn River. Niumatalolo wants to limit the team's exposure to artificial turf due to lingering concern about multiple lower extremity injuries that occurred last season.

"We are going to stay off the turf. We will always be on the grass," Niumatalolo said Tuesday during a media luncheon to preview spring camp. "Normally, I would want to go over to the stadium so the players get accustomed to that atmosphere. We're not getting close to the stadium this spring."

Niumatalolo was asked after Monday's first practice what he hopes to accomplish this spring.

"We need to develop our team and build our culture," he said. "The development of the 2017 Navy football team began during winter conditioning drills. It continues with spring camp. During spring ball, you start from ground zero. You don't assume anything. You start off from scratch."

"I thought our offseason conditioning went well. I thought our players went hard during fourth quarters," said Niumatalolo, referring to the pre-dawn sessions the football team holds. "I love our leadership with captains Darryl Bonner and D.J. Palmore, along with the rest of the seniors who work really hard."

GREEN DROPS BACK: Assistant Robert Green will now coach the Navy cornerbacks after helping Justin Davis with outside linebackers the previous two seasons.

Green, a Marine Corps officer who previously served as the program's Director of Player Development, was promoted to the coaching staff in August, 2015 after longtime defensive coordinator Buddy Green was sidelined by health issues.

Buddy Green, who also coached the secondary, subsequently retired following the 2015 campaign. Fourth-year assistant Dan O'Brien has overseen the secondary the past two seasons and now will get an assist from Lt. Col. Green. O'Brien will specifically tutor the safeties while directing the entire defensive backfield in terms of schematics.

Green was a standout cornerback for Navy, a three-year starter who was selected for the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic.

"I wanted to put RB in a position he was familiar with," said Niumatalolo, using the nickname for Green.

Second-year assistant Napoleon Sykes, who coached the defensive line in 2016, will now help Davis with the outside linebackers. Sykes will specifically work with the hybrid position known as Striker.

Shaun Nua will now coach the defensive line by himself, an indication of the confidence Niumatalolo has in the sixth-year assistant.

"Shaun is the only one coaching three position groups," Niumatalolo said. "I took a look at the whole staff and felt like it would be best if each coach worked with just one position group."

Niumatalolo noted that Navy has 13 full-time assistants while most Division I programs only have nine.

SOLID OFFENSIVE LINE: Niumatalolo likes the makeup of Navy's offensive line, which has just two official returning starters in left guard Evan Martin and left tackle Andrew Wood.

However, projected starting center Parker Wade has significant experience, as does right guard Robert Lindsey.

Wade started the first four games of last season before losing the job to Maurice Morris. The 6-foot-2, 280-pound rising senior played in all 14 games and acquitted himself well.

Lindsey missed all of last season with an injury, but started four games and played in all 13 in 2015. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound rising senior played right tackle as a sophomore, but is shifting to guard because he has gotten bigger.

"In essence, we have four starters up front," said Niumatalolo, giving Lindsey and Wade that designation.

Current sophomore Jake Hawk, a Meade High graduate, opens spring camp listed atop the depth chart at left tackle.

Niumatalolo said during Tuesday's media luncheon that Martin graded out as Navy's best offensive lineman last season.

ABOUT ABEY: Sophomore Zach Abey has a firm grasp on the quarterback job after starting the Army-Navy game and the Armed Forces Bowl. The Archbishop Spalding product struggled against Army, but performed much better a few weeks later versus Louisiana Tech.

"I'm really excited about Zach. I think he has a chance to be really, really good," Niumatalolo said. "Last year, he just wasn't ready yet. He was young and still learning the system."

Niumatalolo reiterated his oft-stated belief that Ivin Jasper is the best triple-option quarterbacks coach in the country. He noted that Jasper will now be able to devote his full attention to Abey, who was third on the depth chart behind Tago Smith and Will Worth going into last season.